Nicholas D. Pyenson's bloghttp://ocean.si.edu/blog/nicholas-d-pyenson
enWhale fossils on the mainland, and into a CT scannerhttp://ocean.si.edu/blog/whale-fossils-mainland-and-ct-scanner
<div class="field field--name-field-blog-photo field--type-entityreference field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/ocean-photos/fossils-get-ct-scan">Fossils Get a CT Scan</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><div class="embed"><figure><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/colorbox_full_width/public/photos/fossil-plaster-jacket-pyenson-web.jpg?itok=JhzK13-z" title="Fossils Get a CT Scan" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-all-qR15DFoBQZU"><img src="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/787x410/public/photos/fossil-plaster-jacket-pyenson-web.jpg?itok=v0d_gJPF" width="757" height="402" alt="" title="" /></a><figcaption><br /><div class="photo-caption">
<p>Gabor Szathmary secures one of the plaster jackets containing a fossil "toothed" mysticete that was excavated on Vancouver Island.</p>
</div>
<p></p></figcaption></figure></div>
<p>After a few long days of hard work on the island, we were <strong><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-photos/arm-bone-fossil-ancient-toothed-whale">finally able to excavate and remove</a>, </strong>not just one, but two skeletons of an early "toothed" baleen whale from the rocks near the Carmanah Lighthouse. All told, it took our team 3 days, along with assistance from Parks Canada, a chartered boat, a chartered helicopter, car ferries, and one really nice diamond-bladed rock saw. In one day we made the whole trip back from the island to our staging area in greater Vancouver, or, <span style="line-height: 20px;">as it's called,</span> the Lower Mainland.</p>
<p>The end of any complex and gear-heavy field trip inevitably ends with as much planning as the beginning, including the back-breaking exercise of moving <strong><a href="http://archosaurmusings.wordpress.com/2009/05/19/making-field-jackets/">large field jackets, which contain the fossils</a></strong>, into a safe place (in this case, <strong><a href="http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/person/shadwick">Bob Shadwick</a></strong>'s lab at the University of British Columbia campus). The multiple plaster jackets probably weigh a total of over 300 lbs, with the largest individual jacket tipping in close to 100 lbs. It's really a bother to haul jackets much bigger, so we were fortunate. (<em><strong>Editor's note: <a href="http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-videos/excavating-extinct-toothed-whale">Watch a time-lapse video</a></strong> of Nick and his team building a field jacket around a whale fossil on a previous expedition.</em>)</p>
<p>But before packing everything to be shipped back to Washington, D.C., we took the plaster jackets to FPinnovations's <strong><a href="http://nmnh.typepad.com/pyenson_lab/2012/03/scanning-the-walrus-whale-redux.html">CT imaging</a></strong> centre, near the UBC campus. There, at the forestry products company, one of our long-time colleagues Gabor Szathmary oversees one of the world's largest non-military CT scanning machines: a giant instrument the size of a warehouse that can scan tree logs 1 x 5 m in size, weighing as much as 2 tons. Perfect for scanning fossil whales.</p>
<p>Gabor, who worked with us previously on the tissues from extant whales, didn't disappoint this time either. With the large scanning energy and envelope, we were able to peer through the plaster jacket and rock to see the fossil skeletons locked within -- an amazing window into the specimen that will immeasurably improve our ability to extract the bone from its surrounding rock once we're back in Washington, D.C. Even more impressive: one of the skulls that we collected has both ear bones intact! This news is tremendously important because this special anatomical area can tell us a lot about the identity and hearing abilities of these extinct whales. We'll post more updates as a coda to this series once back in Washington D.C.</p>
<p><em><strong>Editor's note: </strong>Read Nick's blog posts from earlier in the expedition. <strong><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/blog/excavating-toothed-baleen-whale-vancouver-island">The first is about "toothed" baleen whales</a></strong> -- the type of whale fossil they are excavating on Vancouver Island -- and why he is interested in studying them. <strong><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/blog/dispatches-field-treacherous-stream-crossings-and-new-fossil-find">The second describes some tales from the field</a><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/blog/dispatches-field-treacherous-stream-crossings-and-new-fossil-find"></a></strong>, including the discovery on-site of a second whale fossil.</em></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-33 field--type-taxonomy-term-reference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Ocean Portal Generated Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/category/whales">Whales</a></div><div class="field__item odd"><a href="/category/cetaceans">Cetaceans</a></div><div class="field__item even"><a href="/category/paleobiology">Paleobiology</a></div><div class="field__item odd"><a href="/category/smithsonian-scientists">Smithsonian scientists</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-36 field--type-taxonomy-term-reference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Blog Category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/blog/category/paleobiology-blog">Paleobiology Blog</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-converted field--type-list-boolean field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Converted:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even">1</div></div></div>Mon, 21 May 2012 17:23:22 +0000Nicholas D. Pyenson10681 at http://ocean.si.eduDispatches from the Field: Treacherous stream crossings and a new fossil findhttp://ocean.si.edu/blog/dispatches-field-treacherous-stream-crossings-and-new-fossil-find
<div class="field field--name-field-blog-photo field--type-entityreference field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/ocean-photos/arm-bone-fossil-ancient-toothed-whale">Arm Bone Fossil of an Ancient Toothed Whale</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><div class="embed"><figure><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/colorbox_full_width/public/photos/pyenson-vancouver-island.jpg?itok=eRUrYWrz" title="Arm Bone Fossil of an Ancient Toothed Whale" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-all-qR15DFoBQZU"><img src="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/787x410/public/photos/pyenson-vancouver-island.jpg?itok=lN8z1wBA" width="757" height="402" alt="" title="" /></a><figcaption><br /><div class="photo-caption">
<p>Nick Pyenson, curator of fossil marine mammals at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, holds an arm bone from a "toothed" mysticete from Vancouver Island.</p>
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<div class="photo-credit"><strong class="label-inline">Credit: </strong><span>
<p>J. A. Goldbogen</p>
<p></p></span></div>
<p></p></figcaption></figure></div>
<p><em><strong>Editor's note:</strong></em> Read <strong><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/blog/excavating-toothed-baleen-whale-vancouver-island">Nick's first blog post about "toothed" baleen whales</a></strong> to see what their team is excavating on Vancouver Island. </p>
<p>We departed from Port Renfrew on Tuesday morning on the Michelle Diana, a boat chartered specifically for our expedition. An hour later we approached Carmanah Point, a tall cliff upon which the Carmanah lighthouse sits (built in 1891). We made the treacherous boat-shore transition in the rain with assistance from Parks Canada's wardens, and then organized our dozen bags of gear to begin work. It was exhilarating to finally set foot on land; this is a remote place.</p>
<p>It is a 3 km hike along the famed West Coast Trail from the lighthouse. Most of the walk is picturesque, postcard British Columbia West Coast, but to reach our site we needed to ford Carmanah Creek. At low tide the creek is passable by knee high, ice-cold water; anything higher, and we need to use the cable car, an aluminum basket slung 200 feet across the creek on a steel cable with a pull rope. Most of the time we haul gear above our heads across the creek or in the cart, Oregon Trail-style.</p>
<p>Our site sits on a flat rocky platform that extends into the surf. We can only dig at low tide, so plan each day according to the tides to maximize our time on site. To speed things up, we brought the largest hand-held rock saw available (16 inch, diamond blade). We're working in some of the toughest rock to retrieve whale fossils -- mudstones -- so hammer and chisels are used strategically. It would be soul-sapping without the saw.</p>
<p>Some great news: on our first day, we confirmed a second whale fossil a few dozen meters away. (Janet Etzkorn, the lighthouse keeper's wife, discovered it). It's another skull of the same kind of "toothed" mysticete, but clustered very tightly with its jaws, loose teeth and vertebrae, ideal for a block extraction. Via our Parks handlers, we completed an emergency emendation to our permit, and now we're half-way through excavating both whale skeletons.</p>
<p>Although a few squalls occasionally blow through, we have generally had excellent weather and everyone is in great spirits. Our work is brutally hard, but the views and camaraderie help. Liz Nesbitt of the Burke Museum has been working on the geological context of the site, and discovered evidence for a fossil methane seep -- a deep sea gas deposit -- nearby. At the end of the day, we collected our thoughts in the warm afternoon light atop Carmanah Point, with the edge of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State to the south, and the long West Coast running into the sea. This is fun stuff. More soon.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-33 field--type-taxonomy-term-reference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Ocean Portal Generated Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/category/whales">Whales</a></div><div class="field__item odd"><a href="/category/cetaceans">Cetaceans</a></div><div class="field__item even"><a href="/category/paleobiology">Paleobiology</a></div><div class="field__item odd"><a href="/category/smithsonian-scientists">Smithsonian scientists</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-36 field--type-taxonomy-term-reference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Blog Category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/blog/category/paleobiology-blog">Paleobiology Blog</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-converted field--type-list-boolean field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Converted:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even">1</div></div></div>Fri, 11 May 2012 13:58:48 +0000Nicholas D. Pyenson10601 at http://ocean.si.eduExcavating a "toothed" baleen whale from Vancouver Islandhttp://ocean.si.edu/blog/excavating-toothed-baleen-whale-vancouver-island
<div class="field field--name-field-blog-photo field--type-entityreference field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/ocean-photos/ancient-whale-skeleton-unexcavated">An Ancient Whale Skeleton, Unexcavated</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><div class="embed"><figure><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/colorbox_full_width/public/photos/Nick-Pyenson-Fossil-Whale4.jpg?itok=3vY3lLnf" title="An Ancient Whale Skeleton, Unexcavated" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-all-qR15DFoBQZU"><img src="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/787x410/public/photos/Nick-Pyenson-Fossil-Whale4.jpg?itok=xyj_tYbC" width="757" height="402" alt="Nick Pyenson points to a skull and skeleton of a fossil whale. " title="An Ancient Whale Skeleton, Unexcavated" /></a><figcaption><br /><div class="photo-caption">
<p>Nick Pyenson, the Smithsonian's curator of fossil marine mammals, points to the skull and skeleton of a 23-25 million year old fossil "toothed" mysticete whale.</p>
</div>
<div class="photo-credit"><strong class="label-inline">Credit: </strong><span>
<p>NDP and J. A. Goldbogen/SI</p>
<p></p></span></div>
<p></p></figcaption></figure></div>
<p>The whales that we see in today's world can broadly be split into two groups: those with <strong><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-photos/inside-sperm-whales-mouth">teeth</a></strong> (odontocetes), and those that have <strong><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-photos/right-whale-baleen">baleen</a></strong> (mysticetes) instead of teeth. These two groups share a common ancestor in the Eocene, which had teeth (They looked a lot like the <strong><a href="http://www.mnh.si.edu/exhibits/ocean_hall/meet_basilosaurus.html">ancient whale skeletons</a></strong> in the Sant Ocean Hall). This insight leads to a question: When, in their <strong><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-over-time/did-whale-evolution-go-backwards">evolutionary history</a></strong>, did mysticetes lose their teeth?</p>
<p>Actually, mysticetes still retain the genetic programming for teeth because they have tooth buds while embryos. More precisely, we would say that mysticetes lack the adult, mineralized teeth that their ancestors and living relatives do. When and how mysticetes switched from teeth to baleen has been one of the big questions facing whale paleontologists in the last decade. Several new discoveries of "toothed" mysticetes from Australia and the US have suggested that this transition wasn't simple, and that there were several false starts and evolutionary experiments before true baleen-assisted filter-feeding evolved.</p>
<p>It turns out that the rocks from the time period (the Oligocene, ~23-28 million years ago) that ought to preserve this transition are less abundant than those from nearer in time. In fact, there are only a few places in the world paleontologists can go to hunt "toothed mysticetes," and one of the most productive has been the Pacific Northwest of North America. As a postdoc at the University of British Columbia, I had the opportunity to prospect the Oligocene age rocks of Vancouver Island, which crop out abundantly along the famed West Coast Trail. An incomplete skull of a "toothed" mysticete was described from the island in 1968, but since then, little has been reported formally in the literature. During our reconnaissance work in 2009, we found a lot of fossils, including one that seemed to represent the skull and skeleton of a "toothed" mysticete. But we didn't have the necessary permits (it's located on federal land) or equipment to excavate it, so we left it, but took careful notes and data about its location.</p>
<p>Fast-forward 3 years to this year, when we finally received our excavation and collection permits from Parks Canada. Now, after several months of planning, we're ready to use chartered boats, chartered helicopters, rock saws and a lot of sweat to dig it out, and return it to the Smithsonian for preparation and study before finally being deposited in a Canadian natural history collection. Follow along over the next few days as we update our work live from the field!</p>
<p><strong><em>Editor's note:</em> </strong>read more about the specifics of the excavation on <strong><a href="http://nmnh.typepad.com/pyenson_lab/">the Pyenson Lab blog</a> </strong>and check back with the Ocean Portal for further updates from the field! </p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-36 field--type-taxonomy-term-reference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Blog Category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/blog/category/paleobiology-blog">Paleobiology Blog</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-33 field--type-taxonomy-term-reference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Ocean Portal Generated Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/category/whales">Whales</a></div><div class="field__item odd"><a href="/category/cetaceans">Cetaceans</a></div><div class="field__item even"><a href="/category/paleobiology">Paleobiology</a></div><div class="field__item odd"><a href="/category/smithsonian-scientists">Smithsonian scientists</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-map-region field--type-taxonomy-term-reference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Map Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/your-ocean/north-pacific">North Pacific</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-converted field--type-list-boolean field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Converted:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even">1</div></div></div>Mon, 07 May 2012 19:34:10 +0000Nicholas D. Pyenson10575 at http://ocean.si.eduNew Archaeocetes from Peru Are the Oldest Fossil Whales from South Americahttp://ocean.si.edu/blog/new-archaeocetes-peru-are-oldest-fossil-whales-south-america
<div class="field field--name-field-blog-photo field--type-entityreference field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/ocean-photos/eocene-whales-and-penguins-coast-peru">Eocene Whales and Penguins Off the Coast of Peru</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><div class="embed"><figure><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/colorbox_full_width/public/photos/Smithsonian%20Peru%20Eo%20Final%20test%208%20Sept.jpg?itok=2Ey2gXkM" title="Eocene Whales and Penguins Off the Coast of Peru" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-all-qR15DFoBQZU"><img src="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/787x410/public/photos/Smithsonian%20Peru%20Eo%20Final%20test%208%20Sept.jpg?itok=itUWbS8G" width="757" height="402" alt="" title="" /></a><figcaption><br /><div class="photo-caption">
<p>Offshore Peru, during the <strong><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-over-time">Eocene</a></strong> (~56-34 million years ago), showing two archaeocetes (ancient whales): <em>Ocucajea picklingi</em> (above) and <em>Supayacetus muizoni</em> (below)<em>.</em></p>
</div>
<div class="photo-credit"><strong class="label-inline">Credit: </strong><span>
<p>Carl Buell, <span style="font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal; font-size: 12px;"><a href="http://carlbuell.com/">http://carlbuell.com/</a></span></p>
<p></p></span></div>
<p></p></figcaption></figure></div>
<p>The <strong><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-over-time/did-whale-evolution-go-backwards">evolution of whales</a></strong> represents one of the great stories in macroevolution. It's a narrative that has mostly benefitted from an extraordinary series of fossils recovered from rocks around the world, including challenging field areas in Egypt, Pakistan, and India. </p>
<p>Over the past 30 years, the diligent work of many paleontologists has revealed a sequence of evolutionary transformations, between ~52 to 40 million years ago, which illuminate how the ancestors of today's whales adapted to life in the water from their terrestrial ancestors.</p>
<p>Interestingly, the near entirety of the fossil record of these early whales (also known as "<strong><a href="http://paleobiology.si.edu/pdfs/archaeocete_bibliography.pdf" target="_blank">archaeocetes</a></strong>") is documented from the Northern Hemisphere. In part to remedy this situation, starting in 2006, <strong><a href="http://www.gmu.edu/">George Mason University</a></strong> professor Mark D. Uhen and I, along with other collaborators, conducted fieldwork in rocks of the <strong><a href="http://www.vashonsd.org/vhs/science/piscobasin/pisco.htm">Pisco Basin</a></strong> of <strong><a href="http://www.google.com/maps?q=peru&amp;hl=en&amp;ll=-9.18887,-75.014648&amp;spn=32.535223,52.646484&amp;sll=37.0625,-95.677068&amp;sspn=52.372705,105.292969&amp;vpsrc=6&amp;t=m&amp;z=5">Peru</a> </strong>(below, left). This vast, sparsely vegetated desert in the southern part of Peru is widely known for its amazing fossil marine vertebrates (e.g., sharks, extinct marine sloths and extinct walrus-convergent dolphins) from younger rocks of the Pisco Formation. Instead, we focused our efforts on older rocks of the Paracas Formation, which have recently yielded remarkable giant penguins of <strong><a href="http://www.stratigraphy.org/column.php?id=Chart/Time%20Scale">Eocene age</a></strong> (an epoch spanning 56 to 34 million years ago).</p>
<div class="embed"><figure><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/colorbox_full_width/public/photos/NDP_Peru_DSCN3812_w.jpg?itok=foS7EngG" title="Searching for Fossil Whales in Peru" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-all-qR15DFoBQZU"><img src="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/787x410/public/photos/NDP_Peru_DSCN3812_w.jpg?itok=kCf3-NIK" width="757" height="402" alt="" title="" /></a><figcaption><br /><div class="photo-caption">
<p>George Mason University professor Mark D. Uhen and Dr. Matthew Lewin of the University of California, San Francisco, survey rocks of the Paracas Formation, in the southern part of Peru's Pisco Basin. The two were part of <strong><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/blog/new-archaeocetes-peru-are-oldest-fossil-whales-south-america">a team that discovered South America's oldest fossil whales, to date</a></strong>. They published their findings in the September 2011 issue of the <em>Journal of Paleontology</em>. </p>
</div>
<div class="photo-credit"><strong class="label-inline">Credit: </strong><span>
<p>Nicholas D. Pyenson / Smithsonian Institution</p>
<p></p></span></div>
<p></p></figcaption></figure></div>
<p>Our team discovered three different kinds of archaeocetes from strata several dozens of meters below a volcanic ash bed. Volcanic ash is especially useful for geochronologic dating, which allowed us to determine a minimum age estimate with high precision using the sophisticated laboratory setup at the <strong><a href="http://bgc.org/">Berkeley Geochronology Center</a></strong>. As a result, we knew that the fossil whales we discovered were no younger than 36.61 million years old, and likely a few million years older.</p>
<p>After returning the fossils to the vertebrate paleontology department at the <strong><a href="http://museohn.unmsm.edu.pe/">Museo de Historia Natural de San Marcos</a></strong> in Lima, we prepared the bones away from the rock matrix using mechanical drills, dental picks, and good ol' fashioned elbow grease (below, right). We made measurements of the bones, recorded key observations about their morphology, took photographs, and purchased new collections cabinets for the museum to house the specimens. </p>
<div class="embed"><figure><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/colorbox_full_width/public/photos/NDP_Peru_DSC_0124_750.jpg?itok=ssR-6MYU" title="Preparing a Fossil Whale Specimen" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-all-qR15DFoBQZU"><img src="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/787x410/public/photos/NDP_Peru_DSC_0124_750.jpg?itok=nc8sSiQq" width="757" height="402" alt="" title="" /></a><figcaption><br /><div class="photo-caption">
<p>Paleobiologist Mark D. Uhen drills away rock to reveal the <strong><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-photos/bones-and-teeth-south-americas-oldest-fossil-whales">fossilized bones</a></strong> of Peruvian archaeocetes (ancient whales), in the Vertebrate Paleontology Department at the <strong><a href="http://museohn.unmsm.edu.pe/">Museo de Historia Natural de San Marcos</a></strong>. Uhen is a professor at George Mason University and one of the co-authors of <strong><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/blog/new-archaeocetes-peru-are-oldest-fossil-whales-south-america">a paper about South America's oldest known whales</a></strong>. See a rendering of what these whales may have looked like <strong><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-photos/eocene-whales-and-penguins-coast-peru">swimming off Peru's coast</a></strong>. </p>
</div>
<div class="photo-credit"><strong class="label-inline">Credit: </strong><span>
<p>Nicholas D. Pyenson / Smithsonian Institution</p>
<p></p></span></div>
<p></p></figcaption></figure></div>
<p>When we studied the evolutionary relationships among these specimens, we discovered that the three specimens represented two different types of archaeocetes. </p>
<p>One specimen, which we described but did not give a scientific name, was a protocetid. This group of archaeocetes (which includes <strong><em><a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0004366">Maiacetus</a>,</em></strong> on <strong><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-photos/early-whale-webbed-feet/">display in the Sant Ocean Hall</a></strong>) possessed four, full limbs, suggesting a semi-aquatic lifestyle. </p>
<p>The other two specimens belonged to basilosaurids, a group that includes the long <em><strong><a href="http://www.mnh.si.edu/onehundredyears/featured_objects/Basilosaurus.html" target="_blank">Basilosaurus</a></strong></em> skeleton also hanging in the Ocean Hall. We named the smaller of the new basilosaurids <strong><em><a href="http://pbdb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=basicTaxonInfo&amp;taxon_no=199247">Ocucajea picklingi</a></em></strong>, after the town of <strong><a href="http://www.google.com/maps?q=Ocucaje,+peru&amp;hl=en&amp;ll=-14.35753,-75.676575&amp;spn=2.022109,3.290405&amp;sll=37.0625,-95.677068&amp;sspn=52.372705,105.292969&amp;vpsrc=6&amp;t=m&amp;z=9">Ocucaje</a></strong>, near where the fossils were discovered in the Ica desert, and to honor one of our esteemed Peruvian collaborators, José Luis Píckling Zolezzi. We named the other larger basilosaurid <em><strong><a href="http://pbdb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=basicTaxonInfo&amp;taxon_no=199245">Supayacetus muizoni</a></strong></em><a href="http://pbdb.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=basicTaxonInfo&amp;taxon_no=199245">,</a> after the <strong><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supay">Incan god of death</a></strong> and lord of the underworld, and after Dr. Christian de Muizon of the <strong><a href="http://www.mnhn.fr/museum/foffice/transverse/transverse/accueil.xsp">Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle</a></strong> in Paris, honoring his longtime contributions to South American paleontology. </p>
<p>Not only do the new fossil represent new branches in the early cetacean family tree, they suggest an interesting story about Eocene oceans and the early evolution of whales at that time. </p>
<p>First, the rocks in which these archaeocetes were found show signs that the Eocene sea off the coast of Peru was relatively cool, a finding that differs from environmental reconstructions of most other archaeocete sites in the world. Such cool water currents, in today’s world, are often productive, and can support a wide variety of oceanic predators. </p>
<div class="embed"><figure><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/colorbox_full_width/public/photos/NDP_Peru_arr_color_w.jpg?itok=I1GihWTB" title="Bones and Teeth of South America's Oldest Fossil Whales" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-all-qR15DFoBQZU"><img src="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/787x410/public/photos/NDP_Peru_arr_color_w.jpg?itok=p-B5eLn6" width="757" height="402" alt="" title="" /></a><figcaption><br /><div class="photo-caption">
<p>These are fossil remains of archaeocetes (ancient whales) from the Paracas Formation of Peru's <strong><a href="http://www.vashonsd.org/vhs/science/piscobasin/pisco.htm">Pisco Basin</a></strong>. <strong><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/blog/new-archaeocetes-peru-are-oldest-fossil-whales-south-america">Smithsonian curator Nicholas D. Pyenson and a team of scientists discovered the Eocene fossils</a></strong> and published their findings in the September 2011 issue of the <em>Journal of Paleontology</em>. (A-B) Lumbar vertebra of an unnamed protocetid in lateral (A) and anterior (B) views. (C-G) Teeth and skull of <strong><em><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-photos/eocene-whales-and-penguins-coast-peru">Ocucajea picklingi</a></em></strong>, with illustrations of the fragmentary molar dentition (C) and the incomplete skull in dorsal (D-F) and lateral (views (B). (H-I) Manubrium of <strong><em><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-photos/eocene-whales-and-penguins-coast-peru">Supayacetus muizoni</a></em></strong>, in ventral (H) and dorsal (I) views. Abbreviations are as follows: aperture of external nares (en), frontal (fr), upper and lower molars (M), maxilla (mx), nasal (na), nuchal crest (nc), neural spine (ns), occipital condyle (oc), palatine (pal), parietal (pa), parietosquamosal foramen (pf), postzygopophysis (pos), premaxilla (pmx), prezygopophysis (prz), sagittal crest (sc), squamosal (sq), supraoccipital (so), transverse process (t). Diagonal lines indicate broken elements; random dashes indicate matrix infilling.</p>
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<div class="photo-credit"><strong class="label-inline">Credit: </strong><span>
<p>Nicholas D. Pyenson / Smithsonian Institution</p>
<p></p></span></div>
<p></p></figcaption></figure></div>
<p>Second, the presence of both protocetids and basilosaurids off the Peruvian coast in the <strong><a href="http://paleobiology.si.edu/geotime/main/index.html">late Eocene</a></strong> tells us that early whales were able to disperse widely across the world prior to evolving completely pelagic features. Fossils of protocetids from the southeastern United States had already suggested this fact, but these fossils from South America provide even more support for the ability of early whales to roam (and swim) across oceans and continents.</p>
<p>This research was supported with funding from the University of California Museum of Paleontology, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Science Foundation and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.</p>
<p><strong><em>Editor's Note</em></strong>: Dr. Pyenson's paper, "New Middle Eocene Whales from the Pisco Basin of Peru," appears in the September 2011 issue of the <em>Journal of Paleontology</em>. Explore a timeline of whale evolution in the <strong><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-over-time/did-whale-evolution-go-backwards">Ocean Portal online interactive “Did Whale Evolution Go Backwards?”</a></strong></p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-36 field--type-taxonomy-term-reference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Blog Category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/blog/category/paleobiology-blog">Paleobiology Blog</a></div><div class="field__item odd"><a href="/blog/category/marine-life">Marine Life</a></div><div class="field__item even"><a href="/blog/category/scientists">Scientists</a></div><div class="field__item odd"><a href="/blog/category/ocean-exploration-research">Ocean Exploration &amp; Research</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-33 field--type-taxonomy-term-reference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Ocean Portal Generated Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/category/whales">Whales</a></div><div class="field__item odd"><a href="/category/cetaceans">Cetaceans</a></div><div class="field__item even"><a href="/category/paleobiology">Paleobiology</a></div><div class="field__item odd"><a href="/category/geologic-time">Geologic time</a></div><div class="field__item even"><a href="/category/smithsonian-scientists">Smithsonian scientists</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-map-region field--type-taxonomy-term-reference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Map Region:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/your-ocean/south-pacific">South Pacific</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-converted field--type-list-boolean field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Converted:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even">1</div></div></div>Mon, 12 Sep 2011 20:40:19 +0000Nicholas D. Pyenson8996 at http://ocean.si.eduFossil Whale Found, Excavated, Jacketed, and Returned to STRI!http://ocean.si.edu/blog/fossil-whale-found-excavated-jacketed-and-returned-stri
<div class="field field--name-field-article-video field--type-entityreference field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/ocean-videos/excavating-extinct-toothed-whale">Excavating an Extinct Toothed Whale</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-blog-photo field--type-entityreference field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/ocean-photos/racing-tide">Racing the Tide</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><div class="embed"><img class="size-helper" src="//dummyimage.com/750x453/011631/011631.jpg" /><br /><div class="kaltura">
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<p>A time-lapse video of the excavation of an extinct toothed whale on a Panamanian beach.</p>
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<p><strong><a href="http://caribbeanpaleobiology.blogspot.com/">Jorge</a></strong> and I packed up the night we arrived in Panama with <strong><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/marinetimeseriesresearch/people/aaron-o-dea">Aaron O'Dea</a></strong> and his team from <strong><a href="http://www.stri.si.edu/">STRI</a></strong>. The road we took in two field vehicles mostly followed the Panama Canal heading northwards; we had to stop at a tanker ship crossing, where the locks separated the roadway. Quite an engineering marvel. We spent the night in Achiote, fell asleep listening to howler monkeys, and awoke to the sights of hummingbirds and more toucans. Before heading out to the fossil locality on the Caribbean coast, we had a wonderful breakfast at a cantina by the side of the road: roasted chicken, plantains and some coffee. </p>
<div class="embed"><figure><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/colorbox_full_width/public/photos/Pyenson_Fish_Skeleton_Small.jpg?itok=D1HHDd8j" title="Fish Skeleton Discovery" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-all-qR15DFoBQZU"><img src="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/787x410/public/photos/Pyenson_Fish_Skeleton_Small.jpg?itok=10dcttFT" width="757" height="402" alt="" title="" /></a><figcaption><br /><div class="photo-caption">
<p>The fossil squalodontid skull was located in the middle of the tidal environment in Panama, exposed to the eroding elements of surf, sun, sand and waves. When the researchers arrived at the site the tide was just going out. They ambled out through the surf and spotted several other interesting fossils along the way: a partial whale skull, shark teeth, and a complete skeleton of a large fish, probably a close relative to a swordfish or a marlin. This fish skeleton was complete from nose to the tailfin. Shown here is segment of the tailfin against a 10cm ruler for scale.</p>
</div>
<div class="photo-credit"><strong class="label-inline">Credit: </strong><span>
<p>Jorge Velez-Juarbe</p>
<p></p></span></div>
<p></p></figcaption></figure></div>
<p>As planned, we arrived at the site, in the town of Piña, just as the high tide was going out. As we ambled out through the surf, we spotted several other interesting fossils along the way: a partial whale skull, deeply lodged in the seacliff and too difficult to extract; shark teeth and bits of fossil wood; and a complete skeleton of a large fish (shown left), probably a close relative to a <strong><a href="http://www.eol.org/pages/5188">swordfish</a></strong> or <strong><a href="http://www.eol.org/pages/24390">marlin</a></strong>. Even better, the fish skeleton was complete from nose to the tailfin! We estimate that the fish, in life, was probably 10 feet long. Unfortunately, we didn't plan on finding this kind of fossil and we were limited by the amount of time and plaster that we carried with us, so it still remains in the rocks along the beach.</p>
<p>Time and tides were against us, so we had to move relatively quickly. The fossil squalodontid skull was still in relatively decent condition, considering that it's been battered by the surf, exposed to contant weathering from sun, sand and waves. We could see that the skull was preserved bottom-side up, with most of the braincase missing. The snout was still preserved, along with some of its teeth; we also saw hints of the lower jaws nearby. Fossil whale skulls are rarely preserved intact because dead carcasses on the seafloor are scavenged, moved by ocean currents and by wave action.</p>
<p>We set up the Ocean Portal Flipcameras on the tripod and then set to work. First, we outlined the general excavation area, after carefully scouring the surface for any hints of exposed bone; and mapped out the distribution of exposed fossils in our fieldbooks, measuring distances between parts of the skeleton and taking note of magnetic north. You never really know how much more of the skull or skeleton may be buried below the surface, so we try to take as many precautions as possible.</p>
<div class="embed"><figure><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/colorbox_full_width/public/photos/Dig%20begins_4974_small.jpg?itok=ng2fBOtp" title="Digging a Trench" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-all-qR15DFoBQZU"><img src="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/787x410/public/photos/Dig%20begins_4974_small.jpg?itok=2dkfFX-v" width="757" height="402" alt="" title="" /></a><figcaption><br /><div class="photo-caption">
<p>The first thing the researchers did when they arrived on site was outline the general excavation area and take careful measurements of exposed fossils. Next, they applied acrylic glue to any exposed bone to help stabilize it. Then a small surface-layer cap of plaster bandages is applied to the skull to protect it from any errant whacks while digging. Finally, the digging begins, and scientists work to make a deep trench around the skull (shown here). The trench allows the researchers to apply a plaster bandage cap around the block of rock containing the fossils in order to extract the skull from the rocks in which it is entombed.</p>
</div>
<div class="photo-credit"><strong class="label-inline">Credit: </strong><span>
<p>Jorge Velez-Juarbe</p>
<p></p></span></div>
<p></p></figcaption></figure></div>
<p>We then applied acrylic glue (mixed on site with alcohol) to any exposed bone, which helps stabilize the bone by penetrating into its cracks. We also built a small surface-layer cap of plaster bandages to protect the skull from any errant whacks. Then, the real digging began, and we worked to make a deep trench around the skull. </p>
<p>On one side, we saw the tips of teeth poking up in the sediment at a regular spacing, which made us realize that the the rest of the jaw bone was underneath the skull. We also found a hint that the ear bones were nearby -- an exciting find, because ear bones are very helpful for understanding the taxonomic identity of fossil whales, especially when they are associated directly with skulls. These on-site discoveries forced us to dig deeper trenches and make a bigger jacket, even though time was not on our side. </p>
<p>After several hours of non-stop digging, alternating hammer picks with a few volunteer fieldhands from STRI, we had exposed a deep enough trench around the skull to begin applying a bigger plaster bandage cap around the block of rock containing the fossils. </p>
<div class="embed"><figure><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/colorbox_full_width/public/photos/AZA_8063_small.jpg?itok=XGTqBdO8" title="Dislodging the Fossil" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-all-qR15DFoBQZU"><img src="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/787x410/public/photos/AZA_8063_small.jpg?itok=VYpaoM_g" width="757" height="402" alt="" title="" /></a><figcaption><br /><div class="photo-caption">
<p>After the plaster cap has dried and has created a cap around the block of rock containing the fossils, the team is ready to start swinging. Here a researcher takes large pick and strikes the base of the pedestal that the fossil caps sits upon. Done correctly, a few good whacks will dislodge the jacket, flip it, and remove it.</p>
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<div class="photo-credit"><strong class="label-inline">Credit: </strong><span>
<p>Aaron O'Dea</p>
<p></p></span></div>
<p></p></figcaption></figure></div>
<p>We used medical plaster bandages which consist of fabric already dipped in plaster -- just add water to to initiate the hardening process, which takes around 15-20 minutes to set. Generally, the goal is to wrap the perimeter of the block with initial layers as tightly as possible, so that the resultant solid jacket fits snugly. We applied around 5 layers over the entire surface; once set, the plaster formed a cap around the block, which sat on a pedestal. Then, after it dried, we took a large pick and struck the base of the pedestal -- done correctly, a few good whacks will dislodge the jacket, flip it and remove it. </p>
<p>We managed to pull off the feat (recovering all of the fossils in 3 jackets) just before the tide returned and made the work too difficult. (You can see how the fossil site was situated right in the middle of the intertidal zone). After relocating to higher (and drier) ground, we applied the final touches to the field jackets, labeled them, and then hauled them, by hand, up hill, back to the field trucks a few hundred meters away, in town. Our trip back to STRI in Panama City was all smiles (exhausted smiles, natch), until we arrived back at the <strong><a href="http://www.stri.si.edu/english/research/facilities/ancon/index.php">Center for Tropical Paleoecology and Archaeology</a></strong> building nearly 24 hours from the time we left.</p>
<div class="embed"><figure><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/colorbox_full_width/public/photos/5046_small.jpg?itok=DpPlnOQp" title="Panama Expedition Success" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-all-qR15DFoBQZU"><img src="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/787x410/public/photos/5046_small.jpg?itok=Xflf5_dK" width="757" height="402" alt="" title="" /></a><figcaption><br /><div class="photo-caption">
<p>Dr. Nicholas Pyenson, Curator of Marine Mammal Fossils at the National Museum of Natural History poses with the safely encased fossils in their plaster jackets. Eventually the squalodontid, or "shark toothed whale" will make its way to the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History.</p>
</div>
<div class="photo-credit"><strong class="label-inline">Credit: </strong><span>
<p>Jorge Velez-Juarbe</p>
<p></p></span></div>
<p></p></figcaption></figure></div>
<p>There's really no better feeling than returning back from the field with gleaming white field jackets, their long-dead contents safely encased. </p>
<p>It will be some time before the field jackets find their way to Washington D.C., where they will be opened and prepared in the <strong><a href="http://paleobiology.si.edu/">Department of Paleobiology</a></strong>. But, for now, we can say that it likely represents one of the youngest occurrences of a squalodontid, and certainly the first one from the Caribbean. Also, based on what we can tell about the age of the rocks in which it was entombed (~6-7 million years old), we know that the Isthmus of Panama was still open at this time, allowing communication between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. What more will we find out? Check back later!</p>
<p><strong>Editor's Note</strong>: This is Dr. Pyenson's third and final blog post from this expedition. Be sure to read <strong><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/category/blog-category/paleobiology-blog">his other posts</a></strong> from see a <strong><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/slideshow/fossil-whale-found">slideshow of the dig</a></strong>. You can also explore whale evolution and learn about other extinct species in <strong><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/ocean-over-time">The Ocean Over Time</a></strong> section of our website. </p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-33 field--type-taxonomy-term-reference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Ocean Portal Generated Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/category/whales">Whales</a></div><div class="field__item odd"><a href="/category/caribbean">Caribbean</a></div><div class="field__item even"><a href="/category/paleobiology">Paleobiology</a></div><div class="field__item odd"><a href="/category/smithsonian-scientists">Smithsonian scientists</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-36 field--type-taxonomy-term-reference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Blog Category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/blog/category/paleobiology-blog">Paleobiology Blog</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-converted field--type-list-boolean field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Converted:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even">1</div></div></div>Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:28:37 +0000Nicholas D. Pyenson8392 at http://ocean.si.eduAt STRI, No Whales Yet, But There Are Fossil Sea Cows...http://ocean.si.edu/blog/stri-no-whales-yet-there-are-fossil-sea-cows
<div class="field field--name-field-blog-photo field--type-entityreference field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/ocean-photos/researchers-prepare-long-day-field">Researchers Prepare for a Long Day in the Field</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><div class="embed"><figure><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/colorbox_full_width/public/photos/Team%20Breakfast_Pyenson_small.jpg?itok=SF8XY1db" title="Researchers Prepare for a Long Day in the Field" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-all-qR15DFoBQZU"><img src="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/787x410/public/photos/Team%20Breakfast_Pyenson_small.jpg?itok=iGI11LLr" width="757" height="402" alt="" title="" /></a><figcaption><br /><div class="photo-caption">
<p>Before heading out to the fossil locality in Piña, Panama on the Caribbean coast, the team of researchers have a full breakfast at a cantina by the side of the road: roasted chicken, plantains, and some coffee.</p>
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<div class="photo-credit"><strong class="label-inline">Credit: </strong><span>
<p>Jorge Velez-Juarbe</p>
<p></p></span></div>
<p></p></figcaption></figure></div>
<p>Jorge and I arrived in Panama City around 3 pm this afternoon, and took a taxi to the <strong><a href="http://www.stri.si.edu/">Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute</a></strong> (STRI)'s headquarters in the Gorgas neighborhood of downtown Panama City. The temperature's about like it would be in D.C. on a hot day, but, much to our amazement, there are giant, beautiful avocados and mangos hanging from the trees, along with monkeys and toucans. (Apparently they pass for the Central American counterparts of rats and pigeons). Pretty neat though!</p>
<p>We're getting a quick tour of the buildings from our host, Aaron, who works for the <strong><a href="http://www.stri.si.edu/english/research/facilities/ancon/index.php">Center for Tropical Paleoecology and Archaeology</a></strong>, before packing up the field vehicles. I'm sitting in a lovely office of the historic Ancon building, overlooking a rainy downtown while typing out this email. We leave for the field tonight.</p>
<p>One surprise already: Aaron pointed out a fossil vertebra that his mother found while prospecting in the Gatun Formation nearby. It's not just any vertebra, it belongs to a fossil sea cow! According to Jorge, an expert on fossil sea cows and manatees, it would be among the youngest records of this group from Central America. Jorge holds the exciting museum find in his hands, amidst geologic maps of Panama.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-33 field--type-taxonomy-term-reference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Ocean Portal Generated Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/category/paleobiology">Paleobiology</a></div><div class="field__item odd"><a href="/category/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute">Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute</a></div><div class="field__item even"><a href="/category/smithsonian-scientists">Smithsonian scientists</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-36 field--type-taxonomy-term-reference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Blog Category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/blog/category/paleobiology-blog">Paleobiology Blog</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-converted field--type-list-boolean field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Converted:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even">1</div></div></div>Sat, 18 Jun 2011 14:19:56 +0000Nicholas D. Pyenson8384 at http://ocean.si.eduExpedition to Excavate a Fossil Whalehttp://ocean.si.edu/blog/expedition-excavate-fossil-whale
<div class="field field--name-field-blog-photo field--type-entityreference field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/ocean-photos/digging-trench">Digging a Trench</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden"><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><div class="embed"><figure><a href="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/colorbox_full_width/public/photos/Dig%20begins_4974_small.jpg?itok=ng2fBOtp" title="Digging a Trench" class="colorbox" rel="gallery-all-qR15DFoBQZU"><img src="http://ocean.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/787x410/public/photos/Dig%20begins_4974_small.jpg?itok=2dkfFX-v" width="757" height="402" alt="" title="" /></a><figcaption><br /><div class="photo-caption">
<p>The first thing the researchers did when they arrived on site was outline the general excavation area and take careful measurements of exposed fossils. Next, they applied acrylic glue to any exposed bone to help stabilize it. Then a small surface-layer cap of plaster bandages is applied to the skull to protect it from any errant whacks while digging. Finally, the digging begins, and scientists work to make a deep trench around the skull (shown here). The trench allows the researchers to apply a plaster bandage cap around the block of rock containing the fossils in order to extract the skull from the rocks in which it is entombed.</p>
</div>
<div class="photo-credit"><strong class="label-inline">Credit: </strong><span>
<p>Jorge Velez-Juarbe</p>
<p></p></span></div>
<p></p></figcaption></figure></div>
<p><strong><a href="http://caribbeanpaleobiology.blogspot.com/">My graduate student Jorge</a></strong> and I are departing today for Panama, to excavate a fossil whale that was discovered by an undergraduate student working with <strong><a href="https://sites.google.com/site/marinetimeseriesresearch/people/aaron-o-dea">Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute researcher Aaron O'Dea</a></strong>.</p>
<p>From extensive conversations with Aaron, and some excellent preliminary photos, it seems that the fossil whale (consisting of a skull and a shoulder blade, so far) belongs to a group of completely extinct toothed whales called Squalodontidae.</p>
<p>If you're familiar with Latin roots, their taxonomic name reveals a key diagnostic feature of these extinct whales: they possess unusally serrated teeth, like the shark Squalus, which has inspired their shorthand as the "shark-toothed dolphins." Fossils belonging to this group have been found all over the world: first in France, in the 19th century, and then in North America, and even <strong><a href="http://www.otago.ac.nz/geology/research/paleontology/squalodontidae.html">New Zealand</a></strong>. It's not surprising that such a globally distributed marine mammal would find themselves in central America, but the discovery will be a new occurrence for this group nonetheless.</p>
<p>The fossils are located in the middle of tidal environment, and already much of the skull has been lost to erosion. Our mission is to excavate and encase the remaining parts in a plaster jacket -- but we only have a narrow time interval to accomplish this goal because of the tides. So, we're hoping to get out to the locality on Saturday morning, excavate, jacket, and then be done all in the same day.</p>
<p>Jorge and I have packed our field bags with mostly the standard equipment: field pants; walkie talkies; bandanas and hat; pocket knives; field notebook; rock hammer; GPS; plaster and (undissolved) glue. (See how many of these you can spot in the picture above!). I'll highlight one unusual item in particular: Fisherman's Friend, a throat lozenge. Apparently, Aaron's daughter eats them as if they are going out of style, and you can't find them in Panama.</p>
<p>We'll check in again once we're in Central America!</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-33 field--type-taxonomy-term-reference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Ocean Portal Generated Tags:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/category/whales">Whales</a></div><div class="field__item odd"><a href="/category/cetaceans">Cetaceans</a></div><div class="field__item even"><a href="/category/dolphins">Dolphins</a></div><div class="field__item odd"><a href="/category/paleobiology">Paleobiology</a></div><div class="field__item even"><a href="/category/smithsonian-tropical-research-institute">Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute</a></div><div class="field__item odd"><a href="/category/smithsonian-scientists">Smithsonian scientists</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-taxonomy-vocabulary-36 field--type-taxonomy-term-reference field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Blog Category:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even"><a href="/blog/category/paleobiology-blog">Paleobiology Blog</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-converted field--type-list-boolean field--label-above"><div class="field__label">Converted:&nbsp;</div><div class="field__items"><div class="field__item even">1</div></div></div>Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:03:43 +0000Nicholas D. Pyenson8376 at http://ocean.si.edu